#i just find the way they separate in the book bc armand knows louis will never love him like he loves lestat more nuanced i guess?

[chocolatina]

hate to say it but i am underwhelmed by loumand divorce in the show like idk i wish we had gotten the full fight onscreen at least because it's made me even like their ending in the book more than the show

[desertfangs]

You know how Armand and Daniel are described as being over court and just wanting to go home and then during his big BC speech Armand tells Lestat how he absolutely can’t stand seeing his sycophantic hanger-ons because he wishes he were then? Well now I can’t stop thinking about Armand and Daniel walking around the castle and Armand being like “LOOK AT THEM DANIEL 😤 horrid little creatures 😡 following him around like wretched baby ducks 🤮” while Daniel rolls his eyes and makes an off-handed groupie joke and Armand actually laughs and starts seeing the humor in an otherwise humiliating situation (for him) and then all of a sudden court isn’t so bad anymore and making fun of Lestat’s groupies becomes A Thing for them. Daniel’s impersonations are next level (Lestat eventually finds out about them and even he agrees but shh don’t tell his fans) and that’s how Armand Learns to Cope

Oh my gosh, anon, I have so much to say to this I don’t even know where to begin. So let me just start with the premise of this is amazing and it should be a fic! I love it and I want to read the heck out of it.

Armand pining for Lestat is one of my favorite things and Armand and Lestat’s relationship in the series is easily one of the mostly fascinating and the most relatable. Armand is immediately taken with Lestat even as he yells at him that vampires can’t live like humans (‘you baffoon’ is not said aloud but heavily implied). Lestat represents something Armand doesn’t have at that point: agency and freedom. He’s just being a guy who happens to be a vampire which goes against everything Armand has been indoctrinated to believe. He shakes his world apart, literally. 

Armand spends centuries wanting to be someone important to Lestat. To be seen by him and to matter to him. They have love between them but it’s fraught and confusing and Lestat pretty much rejects him at every turn. And still, he protects Lestat and watches over him. It’s not until TVA, when Lestat allows him to drink from him when he’s comatose on the church floor, that they finally have some closure and connection there. It’s a beautiful moment!  

But then they go their separate ways and so later, at Court, Armand still harbors a little bitterness and sadness that he’s never quite been in a closer place with Lestat. And that’s relatable AF, right? We all have those people in our lives at one time or another whom we wish we could be closer with but for whatever reason, we don’t make the cut or it just doesn’t happen. And sometimes when you find yourself in that position you look at those people who are in their inner circle (or sucking up to them trying to get close) and think “Wow, what fools!” (BTW can we delight in how often Armand calls Lestat a fool in that speech? LOL!) But it ends happily! Armand is there at the end clapping in support, standing at Louis’ side. They exchange a look, Armand nods at Lestat in approval, all seems right in the world.

So back to your thing! I do think one thing Daniel offers Armand is a refuge and a place to have those feelings openly and unjudged. Armand can be his worst self around Daniel and vent those feelings and Daniel doesn’t love him any less. He gets it! I mean, President of the Vampire Lestat Fan Club Molloy over here and he's not even mentioned in the last book or the mural at the end?! So surely he understands the allure of Lestat and he definitely gets Armand’s frustration. 

I love the idea of Daniel making a groupie joke that lands and finally Armand can see that his feelings of envy are sort of silly. He has a centuries of unresolved feelings for Lestat, but of course, he’s better than a groupie could ever be to him. He means so much more to Lestat and Lestat does listen to him (even if he tries not to let Armand know that…). 

And listen, this is just my personal headcanon, but I think Armand and Daniel can run a joke into the ground. I can totally see them whispering to each other when Lestat’s gaggle of groupies passes or making crude jokes about sexual favors after meetings. Daniel doing impersonations that crack Armand up until he feels ridiculous for ever wanting to be part of that crowd. “You make a better heckler, boss, and Lestat needs more of those,” Daniel might tell him. And it’s true! Armand offers a viewpoint no one else does. Lestat needs that and the vampire court needs that!

I also love the idea of Lestat catching them out one night as they walk through the village, Daniel mocking someone in an exaggerated voice and then Lestat is in front of them. “Is that supposed to be who I think?” Daniel is abashed by Armand confirms it is, and if Lestat wants to surrounded himself with yes men that’s none of their business. Lestat smiles faintly at Armand and asks Daniel to repeat the impression. Daniel feels strangely self-conscious and tries to explain that they’re just having fun. Lestat admits the impression is spot on and really, Daniel should do more impressions. So Daniel does another and then the three of them are laughing and walking back to the Chateau and you know, maybe they could hang out there for a few more months… after all, Armand doesn’t want to leave Lestat ‘unsupervised.’ (Lestat pretends to be annoyed but you know he’s thrilled!)

WOW I am just going off on tangents! Tangent city! But thank you for the ask, anon!! Daniel and Armand having private in-jokes to cope with things is one of my favorite things. I feel like they had a lot of those on Night Island, too, and Court would be no exception!